By Brian Hamilton, Sports Correspondent
A plethora of Pickens County football players were recently tabbed to the Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA) all-state football team. Pickens County led the way with four selections, while Gordo had three players selected, and two from Aliceville.
The new Beginner Band for Aliceville High School with Band Director Thomas Hargrave and Principal Fred Young.
BY GENA HUFF, Editor
Aliceville High School has revamped its band program this year. Students in seventh, eighth, and ninth grades have been learning to read music since August. Now, those students can put what they have learned into practice on brand new instruments.
BY GENA HUFF, Editor
The city of Aliceville is extending an invitation of annexation to properties adjoining the city limits. Edgar Pruitt, Director of the Aliceville Chamber of Commerce, has been working diligently to expand the city’s footprint and with it, Aliceville’s population count. According to Pruitt, an increase in the city’s population would increase federal grant funds.
BY GENA HUFF, Editor
Regarding an upcoming project by the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) for Highway 82, the Gordo City Council heard an annexation ordinance by Mayor Craig Patterson to take the planned new route of the highway and annex it into the city. The council was asked to look over the ordinance and be ready to vote on it at the next city council meeting February 4.
The ordinance was read aloud by Patterson as follows:
Caroline Lee Turner and Harrison Blake Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Brent Holifield of Gordo are pleased to announce the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their daughter Caroline Lee Turner to Harrison Blake Smith, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Halbert Smith of Fort Payne, Ala.
The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Joyce Hall Dyer and the late William Mack Dyer, Gordo, and Mr. and Mrs. Lindsey Francis Holifield, Guntersville. She is a graduate of Gordo High School and a graduate of the University of Alabama where she earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Human Environmental Science.
The Aliceville Entertainment Complex, 210 Broad Street NE, will host two performances of William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy As You Like It on Thursday, January 10. The show will be performed by actors from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF).
The first show, at 9:30 a.m. is exclusively for all high school juniors and seniors attending school, or being home schooled in Pickens County. The second, for the general public, will be at 7:00 p.m. Admission to both performances will be free.
Cast members pictured from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival will perform in Aliceville on January 10.
One of Shakespeare’s most popular romantic comedies, “As You Like It,” will be presented by the world renowned Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF) at the Aliceville Entertainment Complex, 210 Broad Street NE, on Thursday, January 10. There will be two performances. The first will be at 9:30 am for all high school juniors and seniors attending school, or being home schooled in Pickens County. Another performance at 7:00pm will be for the general public. Admission to both performances will be free of charge.
YouthBuild graduates are excited for the new opportunities now available to them after their completion of the program. Congratulations to: Pictured: Deven Taylor, Dontae Hughes, Savione Mull, Alaysia Curry, LeDarius Bishop, Antanisha Jones, Keyonna Washington, Chavis McGee, Faith Fulgham, and Thomas Legrone. Not pictured: Michael Daniels, Aaron Dyches, Kim Jones, Katelyn Kelley, Darrien Latham, and Devante Wilder.
BY GENA HUFF, Editor
The Pickens County YouthBuild program saw 16 young adults move one step closer to a successful future at their graduation ceremony held December 17 at Mt. Hebron Baptist Church Community Life Center in Aliceville. Wayne Davis, Director of YouthBuild welcomed the parents and friends of the graduates. “Our (YouthBuild) main goal is to educate and inspire,” Davis said.
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The Aliceville Fire Department was called out to an early-morning house fire on December 19. The house was located on 5th Street NW, behind the Food Fare grocery store. Assistant Fire Chief Derrick Jones said the volunteers responded in a timely fashion and were able to save the house.
Volunteers for the Shop with a Cop program are shown with their Head Start Christmas shoppers. The children were very excited to have bags filled with toys, clothes, snacks, and goodies.
JP and Mozelle Dixon
JP and Mozelle Dixon of Reform celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on October 27, 2018 at the Belk Activity center in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Rejoicing and celebrating with them were their children; Russell (Ruby), Lisa (Maurice Sr.) and Victoria (Damaine Sr.) and grandchildren; Anthony, Maurice Jr., Mya, Malayiah, Katelynn, and Damine Jr. Also, many family members and friends shared in this celebration of love. Congratulations!
Stone / Walker
Jerry and Terisa Robbins of Carrollton, Alabama would like to announce the upcoming marriage of Terisa’s daughter, Breanna Stone to Cody Walker, son of David and Julie Walker of Lebanon, Tennessee.
Breanna is a 2013 graduate of Pickens Academy in Carrollton, Alabama and received her Bachelor in Fine Arts degree in Digital Photography from The Art Institute of Nashville in 2017. She is currently employed by Tucker Photography of Donaldson, Tennessee.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced on December 10 a $6.23 million state grant which will allow Alabama District Attorneys to hire 88 Certified Victim Service Officers to assist victims of crimes.
“The criminal justice system can seem intimidating to people who have been victims of crime,” the Governor said. “I am pleased to support this program, which will provide knowledgeable professionals to help crime victims understand the court process and ensure that they know of other community resources that may further assist them.”
BY GENA HUFF, Editor
The Pickens County District Court succeeded in keeping repeat offenders off the streets of the county in at least two sentencing hearings held November 26.
Robertson / Elkins
Kevin and Tonya Robertson announce the engagement of their daughter, Carley Marie Robertson, to Austin Elkins.
The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Winston and Mavis Robertson and Johnny and Patricia Smith. She is employed by Little Blessings daycare.
The groom-elect is the son of Buck and Charolette Elkins and Dewayne and Nicole Nance. He is the grandson of Gene and Sue Mcateer; and Debob and Julie McDaniel. He is employed at Envirro-Vac.
The wedding will be Dec. 16, 2018, at 2 p.m. at Sardis Freewill Baptist Church in Echola, Ala.
BY GENA HUFF, Editor
Every fire department in Pickens County is volunteer based. “There is not a paid fire fighter in Pickens County,” said District 1 Commissioner Bobby Bain. Amazing considering the amount of time, not to mention the danger involved, in being a fire fighter/first responder.
Aliceville Fire Chief Willie Dixon had a few things to say about that at Aliceville’s city council meeting on November 28. Every meeting the council hears a report from the fire, street, and police department heads.
Natalie Lavender, Health Sciences teacher at Pickens County College and Career Center in Carrollton, was awarded the Teacher of the Year in the Health Sciences division at the national conference meeting of the Association of Career and Technical Education held in San Antonio, Tex., on Nov. 29.
BY GENA HUFF, Editor
Natalie Lavender, Health Science teacher at the Pickens County College and Career Center (PCCCC) in Carrollton, has been awarded Teacher of the Year in the Health Science division by a national organization for career technical educators known as the Association for Career and Technical Education.
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and private nonprofit organizations located in Alabama as a result of rainfall and flooding from April 1 through June 30, 2018.
The loans are available in the following counties: Colbert, Franklin, Lamar, Lauderdale, Marion, Mobile, Pickens, and Washington in Alabama.
BY GENA HUFF, Editor
The Carrollton Town Council met December 6 for its monthly meeting. Mayor Mickey Walker was absent from the meeting as he was double-booked and was required to attend another meeting at the same time. Mayor Pro Tem, Freddie Lowe, directed the council meeting in Walker’s absence.
Current Pickens County Commissioners, from left: District 4, Jerry Fitch; District 3, Drew Elmore; District 5, Mark Gray; District 1, Bobby Bain; and District 2, Bobby Ingram.
BY GENA HUFF, Editor
The newly-formed Pickens County Commission, containing two newcomers in the form of District 2 Commissioner Bobby Ingram and District 5 Commissioner Mark Gray, met for their first administration meeting the morning of Nov. 27. After general business was conducted, District 4 Commissioner Jerry Fitch raised the issue of a new motor grader for each district, an issue he had brought to the Commission’s attention several times before.
